Voter Apathy

[apatheticvoter]

I am tired of politicians who say anything to get elected, they don't represent Canadians they represent corporations. This election I plan on spoiling my ballot because I believe that every Canadian should vote, in fact you should be fined 500$ for not voting if you are over 18. The money from these fines should be put into Educating Canadians of their Democratic responsibilities, this includes voting. I try to talk to people in my age group(24-30) about voter apathy and most just don't want to even debate about anything political let alone voter apathy. So please express you opinions, and ideas about this growing problem, in canada 60.5% voted in 2004 , in 1917 it was 90% source: Canada 2004 - Voter Turnout

So if you feel that the three parties that have candidates that have a chance to make it are corrupt, don't represent your views and opinions, get out and vote anyways, let's get the turnout up to 80%+ this election. It would be nice to see on the news on election day not only votes counted for MP's but votes that were spoiled as a protest to the lack of electoral reform, and lack of real representation in Canadian politics.

Sincerely,

A Ledoux

Ottawa, Canada

[speaker]

We don't want to force people to vote. exercizing a vote is a democratic right, it is also a democratic right to not vote. I can see our current batch of politicians trying to discourage voters in order to get more money for porkbarreling buddies.

I think it would be reasonable for all of us to assume that neglected ballots are as much of a protest as spoiled ballots.

[Riverwind]

We don't want to force people to vote.  exercizing a vote is a democratic right,  it is also a democratic right to not vote.

People who choose not to vote give up their right to complain about anything politicians do.

I think the original poster is doing the right thing: if enough people spoiled their ballots (let say 20%) then it would become the story of the election - the politicians would like to ignore it but it could trigger a national discussion on voting reform.

Simply not voting will change nothing.

[FTA Lawyer]

We don't want to force people to vote.  exercizing a vote is a democratic right,  it is also a democratic right to not vote.

People who choose not to vote give up their right to complain about anything politicians do.

I think the original poster is doing the right thing: if enough people spoiled their ballots (let say 20%) then it would become the story of the election - the politicians would like to ignore it but it could trigger a national discussion on voting reform.

Simply not voting will change nothing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I guess the idea of spoiling your ballot in protest is not so bad...but the poll question is whether or not eligible voters should be fined or jailed for not voting.

It's one thing if you are making an informed and principled decision to spoil a ballot as a form of protest...but people showing up in masses to spoil ballots (or worse yet to vote for someone when they have no clue what they're doing) just to avoid a fine or jail might make the stats look better, but would hardly improve the state of our democracy.

That's why my vote is a "NO".

FTA

[Slavik44]

We don't want to force people to vote.  exercizing a vote is a democratic right,  it is also a democratic right to not vote.

People who choose not to vote give up their right to complain about anything politicians do.

I think the original poster is doing the right thing: if enough people spoiled their ballots (let say 20%) then it would become the story of the election - the politicians would like to ignore it but it could trigger a national discussion on voting reform.

Simply not voting will change nothing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And this is why voter apathy will continue, the average Canadian does not get a political hard on at the thought of "electoral reform" or "spoiling a ballot" I think

such a suggestion is just as out of tune with the average Canadian as politicians themselves. You may as well be talking a different language, no average Canadian shares these dreams and you really cannot legislate them to do so.

If anythign what we are going through no is just the end result of boring old politics as usual. Canadian politics and Political parties are a violation of every Marketign principle out there, we have a shitty product, with sub par promotion, and the lines of comunication are not available to Canadians. What we need is Extreme Make over: Politics Edition, And I don't mean lets through 70 names on a ballot and rank them.

You reap what you sow, in the end polticians are viewed as corrupt liars (and not just the liberals) because of this it is avoided like the plague, admit it even with the politicaly inclined on here many of us probabley are not card carrying members of any party.

Who here is genuinley attracted to sitting in a room with a bunch of fighting 2 year olds, please raise your hand. I don't think there are many, but we are surrounded by just that, politicans fightign each other tearing down reputations to get votes. In the end it just turns people off and less people vote, critisizing your opponent might wear himdown, but it wears down interest.

when is the last tiem you visited an old folks home? I mean once every 4 or 5 years is probabley where most people like to keep it, it is just not a fun or interesting place to go unless you know someone there, other than that you avoid it like the plague. In thsi case unless you are politically inclined you will avoid politics like the plague as well. We are talkign about a group of un interestign boring people. The odd time we get interesting people with more personality than a bucket of hockey pucks we ostracize them. We ask why youth are not involved in politics and why they vote in so few numbers but at every step people laugh at young people and tear them down and we wonder why they don't vote, it aint rocket science it ain't even sociology. It is and should be plain old common sense. Politics as usual is boring, but anything other than politics as usual tends to scare the politically inclined.

Then we turn around an threaten to fine those who don;t vote. It is like legislate happiness or as recently done in a brazillian village banning death. It doesn;t really work or fix the problem. In our case legislatign people to vote will not change the fact they are not interested in politics, it doesn't lead to more education, and it doesn't lead to a better political system. People are voting and they are voting with there feet, many say a private corporation couldn't run like a government. But I say a retail store couldn't survive under the conditions of our political culture. We have a monopoly on the market and the item is free...when someone doesn't show up they have already made a very big statement, even a deaf person should be able to hear the message and a blind person see that there is a problem. But now we want to fine people because are politicians are old, boring, pretentious losers?

To me it seems unreasonable to ask people to do more than what they have done, it seems unreasonable to me to ask these people to show up and vote to send the message they are already sending, it is about time others picked up on the fact the message has been sent. It isn't about electoral reform or Representation it is about politics as usual...try changing that, not finign people because its politics as usual it seems counter productive and down right un fair.

[politika]

Voteing is your civil duty as a Canadian. If you do believe in democracy than you should vote. If you can't take a few minutes of your time to mark an "X" on a piece of paper than you shouldn't be in Canada where we are among a few other countries who actually allow their citizens a say.

[daniel]

Spoiling a ballot might send a message but to the winner, it hardly prompts a call for a solution.

If, say, only one legitimate ballot was counted in my riding, guess what, the winner of my riding will claim the seat. And there's nothing the opponents can do even if they demand a recount.

[August1991]

Voter apathy?

I think we should dip each voter's index finger in indelible ink on January 23.

First of all, this would give Canadians a sense of solidarity with voters in other democracies around the world, and they with us.

Second, it would publicly embarrass the 40% of Canadians who don't bother to vote - for a couple of days at least, until the ink washes off voters' fingers.

Third, it would put Canada on the map.

Fourth, we wouldn't need messy electoral lists, we'd save on scrutineer wages and it would eliminate any suspicions of voter fraud.

Fifth, we could even move to a system of letting Canadians vote (only once of course) in whatever riding they damn well please.

[KingFunk]

Levying a fine on those who don't vote, won't allow people to express their disregard for the democratic system, in total or as it is played out nowadays, through voter apathy. When the candidates fielded are mediocre or the campaign tactics negative less people will turn up to vote, there by expressing a malaise with the people/practices of that election.

A fine that punishes non-voters puts a negative spin on democracy and teaches the world that it isn't the best system of government that we've achieved so far. If we had to be fined to go to the polls than why try to spread democracy to places in Asia and the middle east, why are others fighting so hard for democracy while those with established ones are ready to cast off their vote.

You don't promote the benefits of voting to Canadians by threatening them, Canadians are smart enough to know that voting is a major part of the civic responsibility of a citizen and a benefit to all. We do however need to do a better job promoting voting, specially with an election on a cold day in January.

KingFunk

[crazymf]

We have to vote. How the heck can we get rid of Martin if we don't?

I think the American system is superior in a couple of ways and would welcome a change. I want to vote for my leader separately to my MP. I want my leader to have an election on a set date every 4 years and I want him outta there after 2 terms.

People who don't vote or merely spoil ballots are not really looking ahead to a productive outcome. I'd go so far as to say it's another way the left complains about the status quo without offering any viable different solutions to a problem.

Or they're whining in advance of Martins defeat.....

[legamus]

i voted 'no' for this survey because it seems to me to contradict the idea of living in a 'free' society - it's bad enough having people voting that aren't informed about who or what they're voting for or who vote based on emotion, or strictly along party lines - it would be even worse if you force people to vote who really are indifferent or who honestly feel that no choice reflects them; i'm sure there's a few of those among the non-voters. you can't force everyone to be politically active.

[crazymf]

i voted 'no' for this survey because it seems to me to contradict the idea of living in a 'free' society - it's bad enough having people voting that aren't informed about who or what they're voting for or who vote based on emotion, or strictly along party lines - it would be even worse if you force people to vote who really are indifferent or who honestly feel that no choice reflects them; i'm sure there's a few of those among the non-voters. you can't force everyone to be politically active.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You just eliminated 99 +% of the voting population.

What you say is that people must be totally informed about their choice and all the issues involved, not excited about it, and have total agreement with the person of their choice on all topics. Otherwise you shouldn't vote?

We all vote for the best of the worst. Everybody knows that except perhaps yourself.

[Argus]

You just eliminated 99 +% of the voting population.

What you say is that people must be totally informed about their choice and all the issues involved, not excited about it, and have total agreement with the person of their choice on all topics. Otherwise you shouldn't vote?

We all vote for the best of the worst. Everybody knows that except perhaps yourself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would settle for somewhat informed about the issues and how the candidates in their riding stand on them, as well as knowing something about the candidates themsevles.

How about this: if you don't vote in an election, you aren't allowed to vote in any subsequent elections unless you first go to an office, wait in line, and fill out a long form, then take a test on basic issues and knowledge.

Undemocratic, you say? There are people in this world who walk for miles and wait in line for hours on end to vote. Nobody says that's not democratic.

Let's weed out those who really don't care much anyway. Chances are most of them don't know much about what's going on either. So the fewer of them voting, the better.

[BubberMiley]

Buthenagain, you could say the ones who think they know what's going on are all just totally gullible anyway. If you don't believe anyone, it's hard to feel truly informed.

[Guest eureka]

I suspect that if all those who do not vote did vote, the results of an election would not be changed. The split would be the same.

Only a small part of the electorate swings in any election and they will always vote since they vote for convictions about issues of the day.

Perhaps we should have only the undecideds vote and any change would represent the change in political perception of the population.

[crazymf]

Hey, when the country is fat, it really doesn't matter who we vote for. Voter turnout is a sign of the times more than anything imo. When times are tough, people pay more attention.

http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?sectio...&textonly=false

It seems to me that voter turnout peaked during the first war, the second war, the Mcarthy period and the general depression of the early 80's.

????????????????